DON'T fall for these food-related sleep myths!

DON'T fall for these food-related sleep myths!

If you've been abiding by the following practices, it's time you put an end to them. Read on to learn the reasoning behind our advice.

1. Carbohydrate snacks help you to sleep

A high sugar meal at night doesn't let you relax; instead, it leads to a roller-coaster cycle of plummeting blood sugar, followed by the release of stress hormones that will actually keep you awake.

An ideal bedtime snack contains both complex carbohydrates and protein and if possible some calcium. Calcium helps the brain use tryptophan (one of the 10 essential amino acids that the body uses to synthesise the proteins it needs) to produce melatonin (a hormone that regulates other hormones and maintains the body's circadian rhythm).

2. Drinking colas at night doesn't interfere with sleep

Foods and drinks that contain caffeine, if consumed at night will keep you awake -- caffeine speeds up the nervous system.

The effects of caffeine last for six hours, so caffeinated cola in the morning or afternoon is unlikely to keep you awake. But it's preferable to choose a healthy alternative rather than get addicted to the caffeine buzz -- it is also known to make children more hyperactive.

3. Chocolate milk at night keeps children awake

It's a myth that chocolate milk will keep a child awake. Milk contains sleep-inducing nutrients like tryptophan, carbohydrates and calcium.

It's also a myth that chocolate contains high levels of caffeine. Two chocolate chip cookies contain less than five milligrams of caffei#8800 one chocolate candy bar contains 10 mg of caffei#8800 and one packet of cocoa contains five mgs of caffeine.

5. You should eat dinner as early as possible

It's a myth that you should eat at a particular time. Just give the body at least three hours to digest the night meal; it needs fuel to repair itself during the night, so choose healthier foods (complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, good fats, vegetables and fruit).

People with indigestion, heartburn, and gas problems definitely need proper time to digest their food for a good night's sleep.